War Dogs:
Shaping History And
Our Future
From Biblical times to the modern
day, the history of the world has
been shaped by war. Wars have
passed as the corner stone to the
progress of civilisation. From the
Roman conquests to modern and
sophisticated warfare, the battles
have been bloody and gruesome but
all of them have put man side-by-
side with his dog. No war has passed
since the forming of the Persian
empire in 550 BC where dogs
haven’t served with their masters.
The Dicken Medal is awarded by the
People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals,
and is the equivalent of the Victoria
Cross for bravery. A recent winner of this
are remembered in sentimental terms
award is Buster. As a six year old English
as ‘heroes defending their country’ and
Springer Spaniel serving in Iraq, Buster
‘brave soldiers fi ghting for their people’
made a very important discovery. In an
but they are not. They are dogs doing
apparently disused house in Safwan,
what dogs do; honouring the friendship
Southern Iraq, Buster located a cache of
between themselves and their masters to
contraband that was to enable his handler
the very end. This is not to diminish the
and owner Sgt Danny Morgan of the
glory that the dogs earn but to rightfully
Royal Army Veterinary Corps to gather
accredit it not to the passion of war, but
intelligence that would lead to the arrest of
to the simple rule that all dogs live by. To
sixteen of Saddam Hussein’s supporters.
protect their master.
Buster’s story and many like his go
With this in mind it is all the more inspiring
relatively unheard of when compared
to learn of brave dogs carrying on their
to those of soldiers and civilians. It is a
roles as bomb detectors, guardians,
testament to the loyalty of all dogs that,
medical suppliers and intelligence
through no choice of their own they
gatherers whilst injured or without their
willingly lay down their lives for those
master.
of their masters. Thrown into unfamiliar
and frightening surroundings, the dogs
One such story involves Bandit or ‘780M’
that have been to war and not returned
as he was offi cially known, a German
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